Personal Development and Your Spirit

The following article is from the new book, Getting Personal: A Guide to Personal Development by author and speaker, John Patrick Hickey.  To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at www.johnpatrickhickey.com.  

Every teaching on success will tell you that there is a definite spiritual element of true success. Where I may differ from some is that you will often hear that what you are spiritual about is not as important as just being spiritual about something. I do not believe that is true. What we give our heart to will have a definite effect on what we do and how we live.

I have also found many who, in not wanting to offend anyone, will dance around their faith and consider it a matter of privacy. I am not one for that tactic either. I am a Christian and my life belongs to Jesus Christ. I also believe that He is truly God, the only means of salvation, and I believe the Bible is the true, flawless word of God.

Now, having said that (as if it was a surprise), I do respect the fact that each of us are entitled to our own beliefs. I may not agree with them, but it is not my place to dictate to you what to believe. It is my place to be honest and truthful with you. I promised to do that at the beginning. If I were to say your beliefs do not matter, I would not be truthful. As I go from here, understand Who I am talking about when I say God, and Who I believe is the only source of salvation and power to live a truly successful life. In the words of the 19th century pastor and evangelist Charles Spurgeon, “Morality will keep you out of jail — but only the blood of Jesus will keep you out of Hell.”

One of the important things about developing spiritual understanding is that we all need to have something greater than ourselves to believe in. After all, if we are all we have, even at our very best, we are a very sorry people. Success-minded people see that they serve a greater power that is good, loving and able to help them in times of need. It is one thing to talk about being good, honorable and a person of real integrity, but it is another to put it into practice. As humans, it takes all the effort we have to live right all the time. We need help. We can find that help by developing a relationship with God and by following His word in our lives. I often read these verses from the book of Ecclesiastes 12:13-14: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”

One of the misunderstandings people have about the Bible and the Christian life is that it is a bunch

of don’ts. You cannot do this and you have to keep away from that. They see it as too restrictive and unreasonable to follow. The fact of the matter is that it is just the opposite. Asa Christian I can do whatever I wish. I have a choice (Christianity, by the way, is one of the only faiths in the world that give you a choice). I can follow God and His commands, or I can choose not to. Of course, as with all things in life, my choice has its consequences.

I know that God loves me and wants the best for me. Therefore, if I follow the way He has given me to live, I will find life and fullness. He wants to give me the best life I can have. It may not be an easy or prosperous life, but it will be the best. If I choose not to follow Him, He also shows me that it, too, has consequences. Most are not what I want in my life. So, the choice is mine. I follow Him because I want to; I love Him, not because He gave me no choice.

Success-minded people also know that their faith is an anchor when things get rough. And things will get rough. No one has a life that is always smooth and wonderful. We all have difficulties, heart breaks and disappointments in life. We all have to work and make difficult decisions and hard choices every day. Faith allows us the stability to do all that and more. It is a foundation on which our life is built. When things get shaken, we know the foundation will hold.

Success-minded people are not perfect. No one is so together that they do not suffer at times and make wrong decisions or poor choices. As the French playwright Moliere said, “Oh, I may be devout, but I am human all the same.” Our faith allows us forgiveness, restoration and strength to move on. No need to be trapped in the bondage of past mistakes: we learn and we move on. That is a real life of faith.

To discover how you can achieve the dream you have believed was impossible for too long, read Getting Personal: A Guide to Personal Development by John Patrick Hickey.  You can get a signed copy for yourself and get one for a friend, by going to http://www.johnpatrickhickey.com/it-is-good-to-set-goals-better-to-achieve-then/.  Now available on Kindle, Oops! Did I Really Post That? Online Etiquette in the Digital Age by John Patrick Hickey.

© 2016 John Patrick Hickey. No part of this may be reprinted or published without permission of the author.